Gravel Calculator

What this gravel calculator does

This calculator estimates how much bulk gravel you need for a driveway, path, French drain, garden bed, or paver base — in cubic yards, tons, 50 lb retail bags, and full truckloads (about 15 yd³ each). The gravel-type dropdown switches the bulk density between the five common landscape and construction gravels (pea, river rock, crushed stone, decomposed granite, limestone) so the tonnage matches what a quarry will weigh out on the truck. A waste-factor slider lets you add the 5–15 % cushion contractors actually use when ordering.

How to use the gravel calculator

1. Measure the length and width of the area in feet. Driveways, paths, and bed footprints are usually simple rectangles; for irregular shapes, split into rectangles and run the calculator twice.
2. Enter the depth in inches. Common values: 2” for a top dressing, 4” for a driveway base, 6+” for a full driveway, 12–24” for a French drain trench.
3. Pick the gravel type. Pea gravel is the lightest at 95 lb/ft³; limestone is the heaviest at 135 lb/ft³. The dropdown shows the density next to each option.
4. Adjust the waste factor. 10 % is the default — bump up for sloped or uneven ground where the depth varies, or drop to 5 % for a clean rectangular pour over a level base.
5. Read the result in cubic yards (the unit quarries quote), tons (the unit they actually weigh), 50 lb bag count (for big-box- store buying), and truck count (for delivery scheduling).

Cubic yards or tons — which to order

Quarries and landscape suppliers in the US generally quote in cubic yards and invoice in tons, weighed at the truck scale on the way out. The two numbers agree on paper but diverge slightly in practice because moisture content adds a few percent to the weight. The calculator gives both so you can sanity-check the supplier’s quote.

The rough rule of thumb — 1 cubic yard of gravel ≈ 1.4 tons — holds for crushed stone and river rock at 105 lb/ft³. Pea gravel is about 1.28 tons per yard; limestone closer to 1.8. For orders over about 5 yards, ask the supplier for their density spec sheet — small differences compound on a big order.

Common gravel applications and depths

Driveways. Compact a 4” base of 3/4” crushed stone first; finish with a 2” top of crusher-run or pea gravel. Replenish the top layer every 3–5 years as it migrates. For unpaved rural driveways expecting heavy trucks, go to a 6” base and 3” top.

Garden paths. 3” depth over landscape fabric is plenty for foot traffic. Use 1/4” minus or pea gravel for a softer walking surface; use 3/4” minus crushed stone for a firmer, lower-maintenance path.

French drains and dry wells. Need washed, angular crushed stone, typically 3/4” — never pea gravel, which packs and clogs the drain. Trench depth varies with the local water table and freeze line.

Paver and patio bases. Standard spec is a 4” compacted base of 3/4” crushed stone under 1” of bedding sand. Skipping the base or substituting pea gravel is the single most common cause of paver settling and frost heave.

Decorative beds and dry creek features. Pea gravel and river rock are the typical choices — rounded, easy on bare feet, visually softer than crushed stone. Most beds get a 2–3” depth over weed- suppression fabric.

Why a waste factor matters

Quoting the geometric volume alone is the way to under-order. Real- world losses include the gravel that bounces out of the wheelbarrow, the few extra inches at the form edges, the variable depth across a not-perfectly-level sub-base, and the small fines that compact into the soil below. The contractor convention:

• 5 % for a clean rectangular pour over a smooth, prepared base.
• 10 % for an average residential job — the default.
• 15 % for sloped ground, irregular shapes, or a sub-base that varies in depth by an inch or two.

Under-ordering forces a short-load delivery surcharge, often $100– $200 plus the per-yard rate. Over-ordering by a small amount is forgivable — extra gravel can fill in low spots, patch potholes, or top up the next path you build.

Bulk delivery vs bagged

Above about 1 cubic yard, bulk delivery from a local quarry is almost always cheaper per ton than buying 50 lb bags at a big-box store. Below that, the delivery fee usually erases the savings, and bagged gravel is easier to handle for small repairs or pot-base filling. The calculator shows both options so you can compare costs with your supplier’s price list.

Privacy

This calculator does its arithmetic in JavaScript on your device. There is no fetch call, no analytics on the values you enter, no server-side logging. The page works the same way offline once loaded.